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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

"I Want to Write a Book..."

Occasionally I’ll connect with someone who’s itchy to write.
Maybe he wants to start a blog. Maybe she wants to write a book. And this
potential writer is itchy to take the right next-steps to do this.

Maybe you’re that potential writer.

Without yet knowing you or your story, here’s what’s in my
heart for you and other eager potential writers…

So by sitting down at your laptop and writing, you’re well
on your way.

The thing that makes any legit is…writing.

Work at Your Craft

The best writers work at their craft. There are a number of
good ways to do that:

Attend a writer’s conference.Writer’s conferences offer great workshops to help you
improve your writing. And they often offer opps to network with writers,
editors, publishers, and agents. (Here’s a good listing of Christian
writer’s conferences, if that’s your bag.) I’m not a conference
junkie, but I do believe that there are a host of rich resources available at
most writers’ conferences.

Join a writer’s group. Gather with writers in your area. Meet face to face to share
and critique one another’s work. Or, find an online critique group. Others’
feedback—noticing strengths and offering areas for improvement—is extremely
valuable in growing as a writer.

Before You Publish...Publish

If you’re anything like me, you may secretly hope and
believe that the first draft of the book that’s in your heart will become a New
York Times bestseller.

Psychological professionals call this “magical thinking.”

If you’re serious about writing, begin to develop an
audience.

Guest post on a friend’s blog.

Start your own blog.

Pitch articles to online magazines.

Enter a contest.

Though it can be tempting to want to dazzle audiences with
that first book, either traditionally published or self-published, there’s a
lot to be learned on the journey. Good writing is worth the wait.

Don’t rush.

But do start.

If you've had a book in your heart for awhile, what's kept you from launching?